Áilgenán mac Donngaile

Áilgenán mac Donngaile (died 853) was a King of Munster from the Eóganacht Chaisil branch of the Eoganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster. He was of the Clann Faílbe sept of this branch and a grandson of Tnúthgal mac Donngaile (died 820), whom some sources name as King of Munster.[1] His branch of the ruling dynasty had their lands in the Cashel area of Tipperary County. He reigned from 852-853.[2]

The Danes had arrived in Ireland in 849 and took control of Dublin in 851. The dispersed Norse went off to plunder different areas of Ireland and a rivalry began between these two Viking groups with Irish kings using this rivalry in their own conflicts. The Fragmentary Annals record two defeats of the Norse Vikings by Munster groups in the year 852, though the dating is uncertain. The Arada Cliach of Cliu (east county Limerick) defeated the Norse and the Ciarraige won a victory over the Norse at Belach Conglais, near Cork.[3]

After the death of Áilgenán in 853 there was an interregnum until the succession of his brother Máel Gualae mac Donngaile (died 859) in 856. Áilgenán's great grandson, Fer Gráid mac Clérig (died 961) was also a King of Munster.

Notes
  1. Byrne, Table 12
  2. Annals of Innisfallen, AI 852.1, 853.1
  3. Fragmentary Annals of Ireland, FA 252, FA 253

References
  • Annals of Innisfallen at CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork
  • Byrne, Francis John (2001), Irish Kings and High-Kings, Dublin: Four Courts Press, ISBN 978-1-85182-196-9
  • Fragmentary Annals of Ireland at CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork
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